Chapter Sixteen

Klaus remained downstairs for a little while, almost unwilling to retire. It wasn't that he didn't feel tired, more that he knew Andy would appreciate the time without him and that hurt to know.

He thought back to their 'talk' on their way to Allison's house.

Is that what she thinks?

Running his fingers through his, Klaus sank deeper into his seat. He'd slumped to a comical degree, but that didn't make him want to move.

"Just go to bed," Ben said, drawing his eye. He was sat across the table in Ray's seat, which hadn't been pushed in. "Go to bed."

Klaus shook his head. "I'd be better off spooning with Sven over there."

Ben rolled his eyes. "Just talk to her. Apologize or something."

"You heard her."

"I told you it was a bad idea," he said. "Sex changes everything."

"How would you know?" Klaus snapped bitterly. Ben glared at him.

"At least I never stuck my dick in my best friend," he shot back. "You always do this, Klaus. You never think things through. You just do what you want, who you want, when you want. The problem is, you can't walk away this time, not like you always do."

Klaus didn't say anything, too agitated about being lectured by Ben for the thousandth time to try. Nothing he said would matter, so why bother.

Without a word, he stood and headed for the stairs. He didn't bother looking back at Ben.

The hall was dark, but he found the room Allison had mentioned with ease. It was cracked, not closed, so he tenderly pushed against it. The door swung on silent hinges.

The room was simple and exemplified the 60s. A full-sized bed had been shoved against the wall to his right, flanked on either side by sweet nightstands. Each had a lamp and a doily, of all things. A doily.

Andy was lying on her side, back to him. He had no idea if she'd fallen asleep or not, but he remained quiet as he took off his boots, shirt and jeans. He would rather sleep in his skimpy underwear than try to get comfortable in a pair of jeans that had been painted on.

Setting them in a chair in the corner, Klaus crept up to the bed and slid beneath the blanket. The springs groaned and creaked, forcing him to cringe. The damn thing was so stiff. He missed pillow-top beds.

Klaus lay on his back, staring at the ceiling and ignoring the fact that his feet hung off the end. It'd been years since he'd had to share a bed so small with Andy, and even then, they were much closer. It'd been comfortable because they formed to each other, slept together. Now, a chasm sat between them.

Minutes passed and as badly as he wanted to go to sleep, as tired as he was, Klaus found it difficult. Scratching his chin, he decided to say the things he hadn't before. It'd be easier with Andy unconscious.

"I didn't mean it," he said, keeping his voice low so she wouldn't wake up. "I'm sorry."

Klaus groaned, rubbing his face repeatedly. Letting his hands rest on his stomach, he unleashed the floodgates.

The 12 Steps had never worked for him, mostly because of the religious overtones of half of them, but also because of Step 9: Making Amends. He had never bothered or tried, but he might as well.

Maybe not completing the program was what brought him back to the sex, booze and drugs?

"I'm sorry for crawling into your bed high for years. I'm sorry for scaring the shit out of you when I didn't come home for weeks. I'm sorry for being so wrapped up in my own shit to realize what the old man was doing to you."

A knot formed in his throat, accentuated by an intense itch. He swallowed hard, but it didn't help. The tears gathered in his eyes regardless of how he struggled to keep them at bay. Drudging up the past hadn't been a good idea. He wasn't surprised, but might as well get it all out.

"I'm sorry you had to help me through detox and clean up my puke so many times." He blinked, the damp heat of the tears trickling down the side of his face when he had. "I'm sorry I wouldn't talk to you for ten years and then got pissed when you came back." His voice trembled just a bit. "And I'm sorry I made you think you didn't mean anything and that you thought it was some mistake and that I hurt you and made you feel like you didn't matter and—"

His rambling had been brought to a halt when Andy rolled over. She curled against him, pulling him onto his side and close to her. Klaus slid an arm beneath her pillow and the other around her waist, drawing her to his body, while she did the same. They tangled their legs and continued to adjust until they'd melded together as they had so many times before.

The pair finally settled with Andy cradling Klaus to her body. He rested on her shoulder, face buried in the nape of her neck. Despite being taller than her, he formed against her like an ailing child.

Andy pressed her cheek to his forehead, running her fingers through his hair, comfortingly stroking him. Klaus's brows creased and whether he wanted to or not, he silently wept. The guilt surged within it, guilt he'd built over twenty years of fucking up. It wasn't insubstantial and it gnawed at him.

That was why he never finished his steps.

"Shhh," Andy whispered. She kept her tone soothing as she held him. "You don't have to say anything." He clenched his fists, gripping her clothes tight. "You don't have to apologize to me."

"Yes, I do." His voice was muffled by her skin, but he didn't bother adjusting himself. "I'm a piece of shit."

"No, you're not. You're a Hargreeves."

"Same thing," he replied.

Andy scoffed, letting loose a breathy laugh that made him smile internally, but the action never made it to the surface.

She shifted around him, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead.

"Well," she said softly. "I'll love you regardless."

Klaus smiled to himself, unable to express the relief that filled him. They'd said they loved one another a hundred times through the years, but it seemed to hold more weight now. Perhaps it was because their relationship had changed so much.

He leaned back just enough to look into her eyes. Andy smiled at him, a sweet, endearing action, while she continued to caress his cheek with her fingertips.

"Always will," she added. "We've been through too much."

She was right. They'd been through hell together, through mutant German zombies and kraken. They'd been through bank robbers, thugs and robot armies. Not the most conventional childhood, but it made for an interesting time, and they'd been side by side through it all.

"Love you, too," he said. Klaus, still cradling her hip, rubbed his thumb over it, knowing their tattoo rested just beneath the cloth. "Always will."

And he meant it, more than he thought he would.

As the air filled with emotion and other grownup things he wasn't willing to deal with, Klaus broke the tension. He dove for the crook of her neck where he'd been gladly resting his head and began to rut and snort like an idiot. It was the sort of thing people did to kids to make them laugh and it had the same effect on Andy.

Giggling and weakly shoving him away, the tension had been thoroughly broken. Klaus relaxed. They readjusted themselves into a more comfortable position, though one any sane person may stay skeptical of, and went still.

Klaus was the big spoon, Andy's back to his chest and their limbs twisted together like a pretzel.

"Goodnight, sweetheart," she muttered, her voice faint and heavy.

"Night." Klaus kissed her crown before resting his forehead against it. He let himself drift and finally sleep.

The smell of coffee roused her in the morning. It took Andy's feathered brain to remember where she'd gone to sleep the previous night, but she managed before doing anything stupid.

Somehow in the night, Andy had managed to kick most of her blanket away. She had a leg hanging off one side, the other curled nearly to her chest and she'd burrowed beneath her pillow. In a daze, she sat up, rolling off the bed to avoid waking up Klaus, though she glanced over to see how he'd fared during the night.

The slender young man, nothing but limbs and hair, had somehow sprawled across the mattress. If she hadn't been sharing the bed with him, it would've been impressive. As it was, Andy had no idea how she'd fit alongside him without receiving a knee to the back.

The blankets were pooled around his legs, his pillow smashed against the headboard and arms out wide. She could see the way his face seemed to have melted against the bed, a small pool of drool darkening the grey sheets.

Part of her wanted to let him sleep, but they didn't really have that luxury. Leaning over, Andy landed a sharp slap against Klaus's ass. Her jerked awake, but far less manically than she'd thought he would.

"Wha-wha-what?" he mumbled, heavy-lidded eyes peering around the room. His gaze landed on Andy. "What was that for?"

"You need to get up," she said. "Come on. There's a body to be disposed of."

Klaus groaned, smashing his face into the mattress once more. "It's too early for dead assassins."

"I know, darling." Andy stepped around the foot of the bed and approached the door. "I'll give you five minutes before I summon a cloud and rain you out."

His grumbles of protest followed her downstairs.

When she reached the kitchen, Andy found Ray and Allison sitting at the table, a steaming cup of coffee near each. The atmosphere was tenser than she expected it to be, though she was hardly surprised.

"Good morning," she said, taking a seat nearby.

Allison forced a heavy smile, something Ray hadn't bothered to attempt.

"Morning," Allison said. "How'd you sleep? I know that bed's kind of small for the two of you."

Andy took a seat at the table with them. "It was fine. Klaus and I shared a bed a lot growing up. It wasn't an issue."

Allison's brows creased. "You guys slept in the same bed at the Academy?" Andy nodded. "Those were twins." She nodded again. "Why?"

"It was usually after he had one of his nightmares."

"Nightmares? Why was he having night-oh," she muttered. Allison sighed as the memory returned. "Right, from when Dad locked him in the crypts."

"Yeah," Andy replied.

"Oh my God,"

Ray's pained words drew her eye. His elbows were propped on the table, head in his hands. It wasn't that she'd forgotten he was there, only that their lives must have sounded horrific to him.

"So," Allison cleared her throat, shifting in her seat to make it appear as though she hadn't flippantly talked about her father locking one of her brothers within a mausoleum. "Is Klaus awake?"

"I've no idea. I warned him that if he didn't, I'd make it rain in the bedroom. Flood him out."

"As long as you don't ruin the floors," Allison said with a sigh, scratching her eyebrow as she spoke. "I guess we should deal with the body."

Andy shifted and peered back over her shoulder. The Swede hadn't moved, though perhaps that was a good thing.

"Right, then."

Allison threaded the rope beneath the legs, Andy the stomach and Ray the head while Klaus lingered on the couch. Andy would need to have a very, very serious talk with him later. Had being a prophet made him lazy?

"Jesus, why are bodies so much heavier when they're dead?" Allison sighed.

"You make it sound like you've done this before," Ray said.

Andy and Allison didn't reply, which seemed to be all the answer he needed. Ray couldn't keep the horrified look from his face.

"It's like sleeping with one of the lesser Baldwins," Klaus said. The random statement drew attention. He was speaking to the empty space on the couch beside him. "You feel them rattling around in there, but do you really care? But what was it like riding around in all this hotness?"

He paused, listening to something until a broad smile spread across his face.

"Yeah," Klaus chuckled.

"Who's he talking to?" Ray whisper-asked the two young women.

"Ben," Andy replied. She tightened her knot and let out a breath of relief. She looked to Allison. "Ben possessed him yesterday. I assume that's what they're speaking about."

Allison's face fell. "Ben's here?"

"Mm-hmm." Andy smiled. "I got to talk to him. It was so wonderful."

Allison's surprise lingered. "Since when can Ben possess Klaus?"

"I've no idea."

"Um, excuse me," Ray said, drawing their eye once again. "Who the hell is Ben and why are you talking about possession?"

"Ben's another one of us," Andy said.

Ray looked at his wife. "Another brother."

She nodded sheepishly. "But he died a while ago."

"2006, I believe."

"Oh, my God," Allison muttered. "Has it really been that long?"

Andy nodded. "Nearly eighteen years, at least for me. We were spat out so randomly when we got here, none of us are the same age anymore."

"Oh, yeah, you're right." Allison sounded intrigued. "I'm thirty-two now. You're what?"

"Thirty-five, oddly enough. I think Luther's thirty-two, Diego is thirty-one-ish. Vanya's been here the shortest bit of time, so she's still thirty I think."

"No, but Five said he got here last week."

"Isn't he in his fifties, though?" Andy asked. She hadn't spent enough time around him to be certain, but remembered him mentioning something along those lines. "He may look fourteen, but I'm fairly certain he's nearly sixty."

"That's true, yeah." Allison looked to Klaus. "How old are you now?"

"Oh, uh… thirty-five."

"How's that possible?" Andy asked. "You arrived a year after I did."

"You forgot my trip to Vietnam. That put me almost a year older than the rest of you." He brandished a quick smile.

Andy snorted, shaking her head at the absurdity of it all and turned her eye back to Allison. "Yet we were all born the same minute, on the same day, the same year."

Allison scoffed, a crooked grin touching her lips briefly.

"Time travel," Klaus mumbled. "Ain't it great."

"Um, excuse me," Ray snapped. "Dead body in a rug."

"Oh, right, yeah." Allison positioned herself. "You guys ready?"

There were nods and as she counted to three, they lifted the body. Admittedly, Andy used some of her ability to lighten the load, but didn't dare use it completely. Ray seemed to be on the verge of a breakdown and she didn't wish to be the one to push him over the edge.

No sooner than they had the Swede positioned in their grips did a flash of blue fill the room. More than familiar with the bright color of time travel, Allison, Andy and Klaus threw their hands up. Ray cowered, falling back into the corner by the mantle, and the body hit the floor, hard.

Diego stumbled forward, dazed, yet focused.

"Allison," he muttered, his gaze falling to the others. "Good, good, you guys are here." He staggered briefly. "C'mon, we gotta go. Come on, all of you."

"Diego, Jesus!" Allison shouted as she did her best to calm down.

"Oh, wow," a stranger chuckled. A short man in a pale blue suit with glasses stood beside Diego, beaming as he eyed them all. "Numbers Two, Three, Four and Second-Gen Five all in one room. We almost have an Umbrella flush."

With a heavy sigh, Allison spoke again, "Ray, baby, this is my other brother, Diego."

"Hey, man." Diego didn't hesitate to cross the room, hand offered. "Sorry to crash in here like this."

Unsure of what else to do, Ray shook his head, allowing Diego to rejoin the short man.

"Hey, who is this guy?" Klaus asked pointing at the stranger.

"Herb," Diego said. "He works at the Commission."

Andy stood back and watched, listened, to the strangeness. It confused the hell out of her and yet she knew what was being talked about. A glance cast in Ray's direction caused her to pity him more than she had before.

"Wait, what?" Something Diego had said jolted Andy out of her thoughts.

"It's Vanya," he said. "The whole thing starts because Vanya blows up the federal building in Dealey Plaza."

"Vanya kills the president?"

"No." He shook his head. "Kennedy gets away, but he thinks the Russians blew up the building. Everyone does. So he strikes back, they strike back and pretty soon its raining nukes."

"Holy shit," Andy muttered.

"So, we need to go, now."

Why is it always Vanya?

Herb spoke a bit more and Allison did her best to calm her husband before giving a heart wrenching goodbye. Andy wished she didn't have to, but like the rest of them, Allison didn't belong in 1963.

Without a plan, the four left the small yellow house in the Dallas neighborhood and headed toward the volatile Vanya.